REMEMBRANCE 108: BALING GOOD OLD DAYS

From left: Dato' Azmi Haji Jaafar and myself with two
containers of Mee Mamak auspices of Azmi for Zam.
The last time he dropped by at my house, he brought along
a tin of Hup Seng cream crackers as souvenir for Zam






Smiling Najwa in pink with Rayan also in pink

On 4^th. April 2009, I posted in my blog In H.M. Services 4: The Sons of Abdullah, I did mentioned in passing about Dato’ Paduka Syed Unan Mashri’s and Dato’ Abdul Mukhti’s classmate by the name of Azmi bin Haji Jaafar. After graduating from the University of Malaya in 1973, Azmi joined the primary school in Padang Lalang, Baling as a temporary teacher. He stayed with Syed Unan Mashri and Abdul Mukhti at the government quarters. In early 1975, Azmi left the teaching profession when he became a member of the Federal Administrative and Diplomacy Service.

He rose through the ranks to become the Private Secretary of the then Deputy Prime Minster, Datuk Musa Hitam. During his tenure in service with the PTD, Azmi did his Masters in the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. He even did his post graduate studies at the University of Harvard before he left the service. When the Hospital Support Service Privatization Project was implemented in 1997, Azmi then joined Radicare which provides Integrated Facilities Management Services to Major Government Hospital as its Chief Executive Officer.

When I was the President of SAHOCA Kedah in the late nineties, Azmi has generously provided me with contributions to facilitate the smooth running of the various SAHOCA activities. SAHOCA Rugby teams owed a lot to Azmi during those days. However when there was a change in management in Radicare, Azmi has charted a new path of his life. He is more closed to Allah and his dressing attire has also changed accordingly with his noble attitude in life. He has also become a very successful modern farmer involved in the management of modern concept of estate padi farming in the District of Yan, Kedah.

It reminisced the old nostalgic feelings during our stay in Baling in 1974, when Azmi suddenly invited me to join him for tea at Sri Malaysia Alor Setar on Wednesday, 20th. March 2012 . He was even surprised when I told him that my niece, Najwa @ Sharifah Nurjannah Syed Jaafar Idid has joined Radicare in Banting when he is no more the CEO. What a pity for Najwa since Azmi is no more the CEO of Radicare for Azmi has a special bond with me since he is the youngest brother of our Special Malay One classmate, the late Marzuki Jaafar.

The late Marzuki Jaafar is best remembered as a very jovial caring person to other classmates. He was a body builder par excellence, an active sportsman and an avid chest player. Although tough in his physical physique, yet he was a very gentle person at heart. He was also good in arts acknowledged by Mr. Chooi, our art teacher. However his prowess in producing a good quality abstract painting by only using his hands when he forgot to bring his painting brushes to the exam hall. When the late Marzuki score an A for his Senior Cambridge for the Arts subject, became the talk of our class. If ever the late Marzuki used the painting brush, Marzuki might haves scored A+ based on the present grading system. Azmi also enjoys similar character with his late brother but on a more polished scale.